Reunion
by that-one-creeper
Summary: The season finale made me incredibly angry. And so this is a product of that rage. Spoilers within for Season 3, I guess. Michandrea, Andronne, whatever you wish to call it.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this is what happens when Andrea's completely unnecessary and poorly-written death inspires me. That's right, I write my own ending. As of now, this is a two-chapter fic, other chapter should be up sometime soon- two/three days later-, I could possibly add more to this; however, that is uncertain, I'm not really a writer, afterall.**** Please enjoy :D**

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Andrea curses as the pliers slip from her toes once again when her foot starts to cramp. It's her nerves, and her skin-crawling paranoia that Milton is going to turn any moment now, that's affecting her right now. The desperation she feels is a stark contrast to what she felt at the Disease Center; she has the biggest desire to live that she would give almost anything to survive this.

She spends a moment to take a calming breath, shuddering though it is, purposefully looking to the corner of the room away from Milton's corpse.

_It's okay, just focus, you can do this._

She looks down to her feet and inches her feet closer to the tool, determined to get it this time around.

_Between the feet, yes. Now, make sure you've actually got it, nice and steady. Got it! Lift slowly, at least to the footrest._

There's the clang of metal on metal as the pliers drop onto the footrest, and Andrea sighs in relief. She's just that little bit closer to getting free, but it feels like the world has suddenly righted itself. She allows herself one more break, flexing her toes and breathing deeply, psyching herself up. She has one last glance at Milton that she couldn't help, showing him exactly as he was, before she turns her attention back to her mission at hand. Or foot, whatever.

She manages to grip the pliers once more between her toes on her right foot, and slowly brings them up, carefully, steadily, to her hand.

_Almost there… Yes!_

Andrea smiles, the action strained and small, but it's short-lived as she quickly looks at the corpse against the wall again, just to be sure. There's no movement, and so she gets to work, one-hand prying the pliers in between the chains and furiously moving backwards and forward, trying to put enough stress on the thin metal so it will snap. She lets out a small, frustrated growl when the link doesn't seem to be affected at all, and decides to twist the pliers. She's careful though; to lose the pliers at this point would almost be like signifying the end, and she won't have that.

She looks closer towards the cuffs, sensing that she's almost got it and begins with a renewed vigour. A sound that's not from her causes her head to snap towards Milton. She waits with baited breath, knowing she didn't imagine it. Sure enough, the tell-tale gravelly draw of air into lungs alerts her to the fact that her time has just about run out, and she's got to move _now_.

With frantic movements, she begins wrestling with the pliers even as the walker starts moving, letting out sounds of distress. She's finally snapped the chain on her left hand when it gets to its feet and so she starts on the right cuff. She yells out, feeling the adrenaline and fear racing through her whole body, lending her strength to finally, _finally_ get that damn handcuff free, and she stands up just as the walker reaches her.

Andrea brings her arms up and gives it a hard shove, sending it back stumbling and arms outreached for her, buying her more time. She still has the pliers in hand, and she tries to figure out a way for her to kill the walker. The obvious thing to do is to drive the tool through the eye socket, but that means she had to get close, risking her missing completely and being bitten. What she would do for a damn knife.

The walker has recollected itself and drags its feet towards her again. She grasps the pliers in one hand and strikes before it's within arm's reach, bringing her hand up to steady its movements enough so she can accurately hit him. She draws her other hand back and swiftly brings it down with a cry, burying the tool deep into its eye. It lets out a final groan, and Andrea makes sure it's dead by pulling the weapon out with a squelch, before driving it back in. A sob escapes as she pulls herself away and lets the body fall to the ground with a heavy thud, followed by the sound of pliers hitting the floor.

It's then that she collapses, exhausted and death no longer an immediate threat. She drags herself away from the corpse, scooting back until her back hits the wall. Now that her life is no longer in danger, she feels every bruise, every little cut keenly, as well as the ever present bone-deep weariness that's only been worsened with the Governor's treatment.

She's content though. The discomfort means she's alive, and that's worth the pain. It means there's still the possibility that she'll be able to see Michonne and all of the others again.

She'd try to escape, but she knows from days of staring hopelessly at the door that it only opens from the outside, and even if she was able to get out, then she'd no doubt have to either sneak past or fight the remaining residents of Woodbury, and she doesn't quite have the energy for that after fighting off a walker. It doesn't help that she's had no food for a few days, and no water for one.

* * *

She's dozing in and out of consciousness when the scrape of metal brings her to attention and the fear spikes viciously in her chest before she hears her friend and then it's beating fast for entirely different reasons.

"Andrea!" Michonne is kneeling in front of her, katana thrown to the side, and Andrea's heart leaps all the way into her throat at the sight of her friend's sparkling brown eyes, mouth upturned in the biggest _grin_ she's ever seen on her. A dark-skinned hand is brought up to cup her cheek and she leans forward to rest her head against Michonne's forehead.

"Mich," she breathes, closing her eyes, feeling at last safe.

It takes her a moment to realise that there are others in the room with them but she can't stop the smile on her face when Michonne refuses to move away, instead clutching onto her hand and allowing her eyes to roam over Andrea to assess her injuries.

"Andrea," Rick greets her, face stoic but eyes filled with relief at the sight of her. She sees Daryl half in the shadows and he gives her a respectful nod, crossbow down by his side in one of his hands.

"Are you okay?" Michonne whispers from her side, trailing a hand up and down her arm, sending sensations through Andrea that reminds her that she's still alive. She gives a weak smile, bringing her own hand up to brush Michonne's cheek.

"I'm fine," she says lowly, smile widening. "I haven't been bitten, I'm still alive, and _you're here._ I'm more than okay." Her companion answers with a wide smile, rubbing small circles on her bicep in affection.

"Do you think you can walk, Andrea? We have the townspeople on our side, so we won't need to sneak past anyone or fight, but the Governor could come back with his men. He slaughtered most of the people who went with him to the prison," Rick explained, holding out a hand to help her up. The blonde takes his hand, but Michonne wraps an arm around her waist and helps lift her up. Daryl darts forth to pick up the half-forgotten katana still on the ground and hands it to the warrior, who takes it gratefully but sheepishly, putting it away in its sheath in a practised move. She makes sure Andrea is comfortable before the group begins to move out of the room. Andrea refuses to budge, however, and Michonne sends her a questioning glance, following her friend's gaze to the body still lying on the floor.

"Can we take him with us?" she asks softly, bringing the attention of Rick, Daryl and Tyreese to the two women. "Milton." Michonne sends a look to the corpse and then back to Andrea.

"You knew him?" she questions. Andrea nods in reply.

"He was one of the Governor's confidantes, but he turned out good in the end. He became the only friend I had left in this place." The dark-skinned woman looks at what had previously been Milton, and feels a flash of guilt and shame overcome her for leaving the woman beside her. She straightens up, however, noticing Rick and the others hesitate, and prepares herself to help fight for Andrea's proposal.

It's not needed as Rick assents with a nod. "We'll come back for him. Right now, we need to go and organise everybody else," he says. "I think we should take them all back to the prison, since no one wants to stay here now." Daryl grunts his approval and steps forward with Tyreese, taking the lead while Michonne supports Andrea and Rick stays close at hand.

They move quickly out of the building, across towards the main building where a decent amount of people are gathered, about twenty various residents, ranging from the very young to the very old.

They clamber around the five, murmuring and offering their sympathetic expressions to Andrea when they catch sight of her weakened state. Michonne's arm tightens and the blonde has to stifle her smile at the hardened frown on her friend's face. Tyreese stays behind with the other people, while the four survivors move forward into the Governor's building.

Once inside, Andrea's given water by Michonne and she sends the warrior a thankful smile as she takes her time drinking the water. Rick comes over with a bowl of oatmeal, which is grabbed gratefully and slowly eaten so it wouldn't be a shock to the system. Andrea finishes and catches Michonne staring at her neutrally, but as soon as she's been caught, a small, genuine smile appears on her face.

"We found you," Michonne whispers, causing Andrea to give a watery smile, tears springing to her eyes. "You're alive, and we found you." The blue-eyed woman leans forward and wraps her arms around her companion, letting out a choked sob of happiness. Michonne grins into her shoulder, holding her back in a tight grip. "I was so scared," she admits lowly, only for Andrea's ears, and the blonde's arms tighten, a wave of intense emotion causing goose bumps to cover her body.

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**A/N: So yeah, first chapter down. Andrea's death made me rage, especially what with the writers' missed opportunity to explore Michonne and Andrea's friendship (and yes, I ship them two so hard, but their friendship is pretty awesome too). Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: The response to this has been absolutely amazing! Honestly, it makes me incredibly giddy and so happy. I'd like to thank y'all for reading, and to those that reviewed, followed and favourited thank you especially! I said two/three days later would be the expected time for this chapter, but you guys have been very encouraging, and so, here we are. Like I said in the first chapter, unfortunately this is all I have for you at this time, but I'm hoping that I'll have something done in the near future. Don't want to promise anything though, so for now, this is it. Thanks for reading, it means a lot to me! :)**

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They make it back to the prison within four hours, which considering how many possessions they had to pack and people they had to organise, it's quite the feat. They were able to get a bus to transport the townspeople and some of their belongings, and they were able to salvage quite a bit of supplies; food and containers of water, as well as medical supplies, blankets, clothes and a few weapons to go along with those scavenged from the massacre of Woodbury residents.

Andrea and Michonne had spent the majority of the car ride huddled together, not holding hands or anything to that extent, but were shoulder-to-shoulder, hip-to-hip in contact. The trip was spent in silence, but the atmosphere was upbeat and joyous, at least compared to the past few weeks; everyone in the car had at least a small content smile on their face, their bodies a little less tense.

And now, after having sorted the children and older people into their new homes, the original group gathered in their part of the cell block, quietly enjoying a small meal. There was, of course, another reunion between Andrea and those who had stayed at the prison, which was a happy occasion, with Michonne standing back with a warm smile on her face as she observed her blonde friend be welcomed back readily enough.

"Where do you think the Governor is?" Beth asks softly, quickly turning the mood from quiet and thoughtful to riddled with tension.

"Wherever he is, he better hope he ain't gonna run into us anytime soon," Daryl growls, right hand tightening and balling into a fist. Carol places a hand on his shoulder, making him relax, if only slightly. Andrea stiffens next to Michonne, who sends her a soothing look accompanied by a brush of her fingertips along her hand.

"He could be anywhere. You heard about what he's done, he's unstable and unpredictable right now," Rick declares calmly, staring at each of them. "He could be getting as far away as possible from here, or he could be on his way to attack us right now. Or he could be biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike. I think the woman we rescued from the outskirts of Woodbury mentioned that he had his two other men with him, so I think he's going to be waiting. In which case, we'll need to go over defences, strategies, everything."

The group agreed silently, watching their leader with solemn expressions.

* * *

It was almost by pure luck that Andrea and Michonne were able to get a cell block alone together. If you were to ask Michonne, she would definitely prefer it that way, and ask Andrea… Well, she was happy with whatever the arrangements were as long as she wasn't too far from the warrior. As they prepared for bed that night, there was a peaceful silence; they chose to revel in each other's presence in very much the same manner as they had during those long months out in the open alone.

"Where do _you_ think he is, Mich?" Andrea questions, putting down her now-folded clothes onto the small table next to the bed, having already changed into reasonably fresh pyjamas. Her question stills the brunette.

"I wouldn't know," she replies, voice hard to read, even for Andrea. "I didn't spend much time with him." Andrea bristles, already taking into account that when Michonne spoke without a hint of emotion, not even apathy, it often suggested there was a range of feelings roiling beneath the surface.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The blonde asks calmly, trying to not let the hammering of her heart affect her. This situation was reminiscent of what happened at Woodbury, and it resulted in the loss of her best friend. She didn't want to go through that again. The warrior turns to her, eyes on the ground before meeting her gaze.

"It doesn't mean anything, other than all I know is that he is bad."

A pause, and then-

"I'm sorry I didn't come with you," Andrea murmurs quietly, eyes locking on Michonne, whose face twists suddenly with the onslaught of emotions. The blonde steps forth, hands outstretched to take her friend in a hug, but stops at the agony visible in those deep brown eyes. "Mich," she whimpers. Michonne purses her lips together, trying to hold herself together.

"I-" she starts, but emotion grabs the words before they can be voiced. She tries again. "Andrea, I should have stayed. I could have kept him from you," she chokes on her words again, tears steadily building up in her eyes. For Andrea, the sight before her is simultaneously surreal and incredibly confronting. The normally stoic woman is baring herself, and Andrea feels her heart breaking, piece by piece. Michonne collects herself again enough to continue. "I hate to think what could have happened, if you had…" A silent sob wracks her body, and the blonde takes two steps forward, bringing her hands up to Michonne's face and wiping the tears from her cheeks, leaning until their foreheads touch.

They stare into each other's eyes, Michonne calming down slightly as the intensity of those blue eyes reach into her and assure her that Andrea's here, she's alive, and it's them in this moment, _living_. One of the blonde's hands creep down to rest at the other woman's neck, caressing in its descent. They're both aware abruptly of the other's hot breath brushing against their lips, of Michonne's hands gripping at Andrea's, pulling her closer even as Andrea slides her hands around to the back of Michonne's neck.

"Mich," Andrea breathes, closing her eyes and graze her nose against her companion's, feeling her own heart stop and start in nervous bursts. Their lips touch, they share a collective sigh that moves their whole bodies, and then they move closer, allowing their lips full contact.

They're still for a few seconds, soaking in the way this is making them feel; blood pumping and racing at full speed, brains simultaneously in overdrive and curiously blank aside from every little sensation they get from a mere touch of lips. And then Andrea's hands tighten involuntarily and it starts a chain reaction; Michonne slips her arms around the blonde's midsection, pulling their bodies together to fit perfectly; both begin to tilt their heads to deepen the kiss, their lips start to move more boldly, parting ever so slightly to capture the other's top or bottom lip.

Andrea's tongue sneaks out, sending a spark down Michonne's spine and she moans, the embers that were previously burning quietly quickly rising into a powerful forest fire, taking control of their mind and bodies.

Next thing they know, Michonne has Andrea pushed against the wall and one leg hoisted up in her hand, wrapped around her hips. Hands are roaming and their mouths are moving furiously, trying to convey every last little emotion that's held them captive, especially the feelings their separation has brought to light. Andrea trails her hands down over Michonne's shoulders, moving to the sides of her chest and lingering along her stomach before grabbing desperately at her waist, trying in vain to _get closer_.

A baby's cry rings out through the cell block, startling the two women into parting, though when they realise that it's only Judith acting fussy, they turn their attention back to each other, still within arm's reach. Michonne gives a shy little smile, and Andrea returns it with a beam, enamoured with this side of Michonne that she hasn't been able to see yet.

"Well that was something, huh?" Andrea notes, eyes locking with brown eyes, hands now in a reasonably safe place on Michonne's waist. The other woman's mouth twitches into a larger smile.

"Yeah," she says, daring to tilt her head forward. They both grin into the soft kiss, which soon turns into another, and then several more, before they decide to stop and just hold each other, heads resting on shoulders.

"We should go to bed," Michonne whispers. Andrea draws back with a teasing expression, lips twitching, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah?" Brown eyes darken, and blue twinkles happily in return.

"That's not what I meant." The way the brunette's body reacts to her words betrays her, as her arms draw her closer.

"I know what you meant. Come on, then," the blonde grabs onto Michonne's hand, interlocking their fingers and dragging her over to the bunk bed before forcing her down onto the bottom bunk with a slight push. Andrea cautiously scrambles in after her, aware that the bunks really aren't made for two people side by side, but she figures they'll fit. Just.

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**A/N: To be honest with you, this story is definitely feeling very unfinished to me. But I'm not really a writer, so I don't think there are going to be many plausible endings that I could come up with that I can fit within a couple of chapters, since that's all I'd be able to manage. I'll try, you guys, to get something else done, because this is very therapeutic to my broken heart after the finale, as I'm sure it is for you. There's still a lot I could do, but I want to make sure that it's not complete crap and also that I don't drag the whole thing out.**

**Thank you again. For something I was pretty proud of, it's unbelievably uplifting that you've enjoyed it as well.**

**And sorry for my tendency to ramble a bit in these author's notes. I do get a little excited.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I wanted to get this out sooner, I really did. But I hit a bump in the road, right smack-bang in the middle of it, and it lasted a while, unfortunately. However, good news! I have been working on a plan for this story while I was trying to get over that pesky writer's block and I'm fairly invested in this. So chances are, you guys are going to get a few more chapters out of me. Alrighty, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

The two women wake up the next morning, arms and legs intertwined as Michonne lies half on top of Andrea to accommodate for the lack of space in the bed. It wasn't the best night's sleep either of them have ever had, but the fact that they were able to spend it so intimately nestled together rates it higher than any other experience.

"Good morning," Andrea murmurs when her bed mate lifts up on one arm to look at her, aware of the commotion going on outside of their cell, indicating that the others were up and most likely preparing for the busy day ahead of them. Michonne starts to pull her hand out from where it's resting on a pale hip underneath Andrea's pyjama shirt, but places it back firmly when Andrea pouts slightly at her, rubbing her thumb along the skin in condolence. The dread-locked woman clears her throat.

"Good morning," she says lowly, thumb now moving in small circles. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine," Andrea replies, bringing her arm underneath Michonne up a little so she can pull her closer for a kiss, but she hits resistance. Michonne's lips curl up ever so slightly at the corners.

"Just fine?" she questions further, stilling her thumb and frowning. A blonde eyebrow raises, and Andrea looks mainly unimpressed with Michonne's obvious teasing. The dark-skinned woman relents, leaning down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. At least, that's what would've happened if Andrea didn't turn her head to have Michonne's lips fall on her cheek.

Michonne growls but decides to execute a different form of attack by sliding her lips down the exposed neck and fixating on somewhere in the middle, kissing it gently. Andrea almost lets out a breathless giggle, but it's cut short by a soft moan that falls out when Michonne begins to suck slightly at her neck. Andrea's hand comes up to rest at the back of Michonne's head, making sure she stays there. The blonde moans again when she feels the slightest hint of Michonne's tongue trace on her skin, making her heart thump almost painfully in her chest and she slips her fingers through the dreadlocks at the nape of Michonne's neck, bringing their mouths together at last.

Both women push themselves into the kiss, but Andrea comes out on top, blanket originally covering them falling down to their waists as she supports herself on both hands over the brunette, deepening the kiss by opening her mouth and allowing Michonne access. She can feel Michonne's other hand reach up and mirror its partner's position on her hips, slowly creeping up with kneading movements. Her hands are all the way up on Andrea's bare back and the knowledge that she's not wearing anything underneath the shirt makes her pull Andrea down so their chests are touching. The friction alone sends electrical pulses up and down their spines, causing mutual groans.

Michonne moves her arms, splaying her fingers over as much space as she can get, inadvertently shifting Andrea's shirt so the skin on her back is exposed to the cool air, contrasting heavily with the heat radiating off the both of them.

"We need you girls up to help- wow, okay," Glenn says as he stops at the doorway to the cell and turns around when he sees dark-skinned hands running over a pale back and disappearing under a shirt. Andrea sits up, making her shirt fall down to cover her midsection up again.

"You, uh, can turn around Glenn," Andrea announces, sending a glance to Michonne who's leaning back on her arms, stony faced and studying the man who cautiously spins around and gives them, mostly Michonne, a nervous smile.

"We've got a lot to do today, so I'm waking everyone up. Rick wants to go over plans and stuff," he explains, eyes moving slowly from Michonne to Andrea with a small grin on his face. "Plus some of the people from Woodbury have made breakfast." Andrea nods, letting him know that she understands, and he walks off, still with that grin on his face. The blonde turns her complete attention to the silent woman next to her, trying to gauge what her mood is, and her reaction to being found out, especially when they were caught off-guard.

"Are you okay?" Andrea probes when Michonne refuses to say anything, staring at the spot where Glenn was just before. She turns her head to look at the concerned expression on Andrea's face, and frowns slightly before getting up off the bed.

"I just don't like anyone knowing my business," she mumbles, grabbing a belt from their meagre pile of clothes, threading it through the loops on the pants she slept in. She tightens it just enough and grabs her usual vest, throwing that on over the top of her tank top followed by the katana and sheath. "Are you coming?" she asks, striding to the doorway and seeing that most of the group were already downstairs and getting ready for the day.

"Sure, just give me a moment," Andrea replies quietly, standing and choosing to change into a pair of jeans and a different shirt while the other woman waits patiently for her, back turned. She strolls over and places a hand on Michonne's elbow, silently letting her know she's ready. She's relieved when she gets a small smile in return before they start walking downstairs to join the others.

They each get handed a bowl by one of the former Woodbury residents, an older woman who smiles happily at them and disappears soon enough. Karen, the woman that was rescued by Rick, Daryl and Michonne, is there along with Tyreese and Sasha, waiting for Rick, no doubt. Michonne and Andrea sit down at a table with Carol and Beth to eat, Andrea noticing that Rick, Daryl and Glenn are nowhere to be seen.

The men walk in five minutes later, when Andrea and Michonne have finished eating and Andrea has begun to talk with Carol about the finer details of her side of the story at Woodbury. The room goes silent and all eyes turn to them.

"The plan is to reclaim the yard today," Rick says, voice ringing throughout the room. "We get the field back, maybe we can start growing some vegetables and not have to rely on cans of food anymore. We'll need a team to defend the people who are going to fix the gates, and then we should all be able to start cleaning up the bodies. Glenn, Maggie and Sasha are going to be on guard duty, and most of the Woodbury people will have to stay inside, but the rest of us will get to work in the field. Daryl, Michonne, Tyreese and I will work on the gate while Beth, Carol and Karen keep the walkers from getting too close." Andrea narrows her eyes at this, twisting so she was fully facing Rick.

"I can join you," she pipes up, and Carl stands up from where he was watching quietly in the corner.

"I want to help too." Rick halts at both of their words, studying his son carefully before turning to Andrea.

"If you're feeling okay, then I can't see why not. But only if you're strong enough, and don't push yourself," he says, and then beckons Carl forward to talk to him when Andrea nods in agreement. Michonne looks at Andrea as she turns back around, appearing quite satisfied.

"Are you sure you're fine to go out?" she questions quietly, receiving a reassuring smile in return.

"I'm fine. I've gone through worse, and came out better on the other side," Andrea reminds her of the state Michonne found her in, close to dropping from exhaustion and thirst. "Besides, I've been resting for long enough." A smile that teeters between affection and exasperation emerges on Michonne's face and Andrea raises her eyebrows in curiosity.

"You never could stand to keep still for long," she comments good-naturedly, her husky, low tone sending Andrea's heart thumping with the barrage of feelings that she sees mirrored in brown eyes.

"You're one to talk," she retorts light-heartedly, bumping shoulders with Michonne before looking up and meeting Carol's knowing gaze. Carol only keeps a grin at bay, impish twinkle in her eye as Andrea feels a certain bashfulness at getting caught out again overcome her. They've got to work on their subtly, clearly. But as she catches sight of the playfulness in Michonne's eyes, she really doesn't mind.

* * *

They make it onto the field, all armed with at least one melee weapon to protect against the horde of walkers that have meandered into the fenced area once again. It's not too hard to dispatch the walkers, what with all nine of them working quickly across the open, before they reach the entrance and Michonne, Rick, Daryl and Tyreese lift up the torn off gate and chain it tightly to its original place, with the others guarding the fence carefully.

When Rick's satisfied that the gate is secure enough that at least walkers won't get through, they get to work clearing the yard and piling the corpses in a corner far from the prison, ready to be burnt. Andrea has already seen the crosses rising up though the grass, and when it comes time for a brief reprieve from labour she wanders over, silent and brooding as she realises these would be for those that the group had already lost. It's a while before Michonne draws near, having wanted to give some space to the obviously deep-in-thought blonde. Andrea glances at her before shifting her sight back to the graves.

"We've lost so much," she murmurs, making the brunette walk forward so she's close enough to offer comfort. "There's so many people that are just gone now, so many sacrifices made." She turns to Michonne, smiling sadly at her as she steps closer. "I'm just glad that we're both here, alive and healthy." Their hands find each other, mindful of the others loitering in the field but not quite able to stay completely away. Michonne squeezes Andrea's hand, sending her a smile that reveals how grateful she is, too, that they're both here. They hear the subtle sound of footsteps through grass, dropping their hands away and turning to see Beth steadily making her way over to them.

"Rick says the break is over," she explains her presence shyly, and Andrea lets out a heavy breath before nodding. Michonne sends her a concerned look, but is brushed off by Andrea's insistent grin.

"I know you're worried, but I'm fine," she says firmly, placing a hand on Michonne's upper arm. "If I feel sick, or tired, or anything, I promise I will stop, okay? But I can't just sit around doing nothing, it would drive me crazy." Michonne shakes her head, grinning softly to herself as she knows how accurate the blonde's words are, mind flashing back to the months spent with Andrea out in the open. They were exactly alike, in that respect; unable to keep idle when they were perfectly capable of being productive.

"All right, as long as you know when enough is enough," Michonne caves in with tenderness present in her voice. "Let's go."

* * *

It's late in the afternoon when they hold Milton's funeral, having made the decision to do so when they finished clearing the field of the bodies, the sun still high in the sky. It took little over a half an hour for the four who fixed the gate to dig a deep enough grave. Michonne could tell that Andrea wanted to help, out of respect for Milton, but drew the line at the back-breaking labour involved in shovelling the dirt. Instead, she stepped in for the blonde, also feeling the need to express her recognition and appreciation for the man who helped enable Andrea to survive.

So now the survivors and people from Woodbury gather around for a small ceremony, apart from Beth who had taken over the babysitting duties from Hershel and a Woodbury woman while she was in the field helping. Hershel assumes his role of saying a few words as a parting to the man who sacrificed himself to try and take down the Governor, while Andrea and the Woodbury citizens recall the man, the others staying quiet out of respect. Seeing that no one will step forward to speak for Milton on a more personal note when Hershel falls silent, Andrea decides to say a few words herself.

"Milton was a good man," she starts off, gaining strength from the thankful and supportive expressions of everyone who knew Milton. "In the end, he tried to do what was right, and thanks to him, I am alive now. And for that, he shall be remembered dearly. There will not be a day where I won't think about what he's done for me, and what he's allowed me to experience as I continue living." She locks her gaze on Michonne, who's fighting back tears with her lips upturned in a bittersweet smile. "There really are no words that I could say that would show just how grateful I am for his actions, and I will try to carry out his wishes that there won't be unnecessary violence in an already violent and chaotic world. We will make a life for ourselves where it won't be tainted and influenced by men like the Governor. His sacrifice can make us strive for a much better world. While I live, I will be thankful for the life we have been given, and the people we have with us. To Milton, and all those we have lost in the cruellest of circumstances." When it was clear that Andrea had finished speaking, everyone began clapping, most with tears running down their faces, obviously thinking not only about Milton, but those who had been killed in the Governor's massacre and even before that, the loved ones they had lost due to the outbreak.

The blonde moves back next to her companion, seeing that most of the prison group were also affected by her speech. Every one of them have lost someone close to them, but the unity they show by seeking and offering comfort with each other brings tears to Andrea's eyes as she turns her attention to Michonne.

"I love you," she whispers, drawing close and enveloping the dread-locked woman in a tight embrace. "I wouldn't know what to do without you."

"I love you too," is whispered back into her ear, and her grip constricts further, her emotions manifesting physically by controlling her body, trying to get the other woman closer. "So much, Andrea."

They retire to bed that night, once again tangled in each other's arms, too exhausted from the day's exertions to do much other than cuddling; the women easily fall asleep with calm, happy smiles present on their faces.

* * *

**A/N: That little love declaration kind of just snuck itself in when I was writing this. I was not expecting it to happen until the words were typing themselves out, which was weird for me. But anyway, I don't know when I'll get another chapter typed out. Hopefully I don't have you guys waiting for too long.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Gah, I love you guys! And to the guest who's consistently reviewed the last three chapters (I'm going to assume it's the same person; if not, I apologise), thank you for reading and reviewing! It means an incredible amount to me! Hope y'all enjoy this next chapter, and sorry for the wait!**

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The next day finds the two outside on guard duty while the others do various jobs, transforming the prison into more of a home now that the Woodbury residents are there and preparing it for possible future altercations with the Governor and his two henchmen. Initially it was Michonne who was placed on duty – Rick had deemed it only necessary for one person to stand guard since virtually all of the people would be inside the buildings for most of the day – but Andrea was able to join her with the argument that two pairs of eyes would be better than one, especially if the Governor was still out there. Rick had conceded with the belief that it wouldn't hurt for Andrea to have light duties after working hard yesterday.

Luckily in the attack on the prison, only one of the guard towers had been destroyed to the point of not being able to use it, and hence Michonne and Andrea were currently up on the same one, situated on different corners with a gun each.

After catching Andrea glancing at her for the sixth time, Michonne gives in and sends a questioning smile, unable to stop her elation from leaking through. She feels like she's floating on cloud nine, grounded only by the blonde at her side; the woman who she's exchanged an admission of love with, who she's come to know inside and out over several months, who she would die for.

"What is it?" Michonne voices, seeing Andrea look away bashfully. Blue eyes turn to her again, taking in her appearance – boots, cargo pants, tight shirt and usual vest, along with a bandana pulling back the woman's dreadlocks – before taking hold of Michonne's eyes and twinkling at her.

"We never really talked about what's been happening," Andrea starts, moving her attention to the woods surrounding the prison, gun held firmly down in front of her in a wary stance. Behind her, Michonne shifts and faces the other way, unsure of how to answer to Andrea's words. The blonde looks back at her, sensing her indecision. "I mean between us."

Michonne nods carefully at her words, eyes searching the trees but not really seeing.

"We never did, did we?" she murmurs faintly.

"We didn't really have time," Andrea acknowledges. "But we're here now, with no one to bother us." Michonne raises an eyebrow as she looks at Andrea.

"And that's why you wanted to come on guard duty with me?" she asks. The blue-eyed woman shakes her head, a hint of a smile playing around her mouth.

"Not just that. Maybe I just wanted to be with you." There's a mischievous lilt to her voice that has the warrior facing her, fighting back a smile.

"I'm glad you wanted to join me, even if you're going to try to distract me," Michonne says in a low voice, looking vaguely unimpressed, though Andrea knows differently by the way the other woman tightens her mouth to restrain a grin.

"I know you're not quite close with the others yet," she says. "But they're good people, and they won't judge us, I know it." Michonne is silent, contemplating the woman in front of her.

"I know," she assents with a small upturn of the lips.

"And by the looks of it, some of them already know." Andrea's lightly spoken comment gets the reaction she was looking for; Michonne is standing there unmoving, seemingly shocked by the news.

"There's Glenn, and by extension Maggie, but who else is there?" she questions, focusing on Andrea.

"Carol's been grinning at me whenever we're within five feet of each other, and I think Beth and Carl have started to realise something's going on." And it was true; last night while the group had dinner, Andrea had caught the pair studying her and Michonne whilst the two women were eating together. It was unnerving, the way that they just watched with neutral expressions, but then Beth gave her the slightest of nods, and Andrea figured that they weren't bothered by whatever they'd managed to conclude.

Michonne scoffs, an expression of faint amusement on her face as she scans the ground carefully.

"So we're more obvious than I thought we were," she murmurs, looking up at Andrea with a tender expression. The blonde can see that the other woman is uncomfortable by the news, but the feelings she has for Andrea are obviously winning out. Andrea sends her a small grin, lessening the slight pressure Michonne can feel in the pit of her stomach at the thought of other people knowing.

"Well, we are pretty close. It was only a matter of time before people noticed." There's a pause before Andrea continues. "I don't think we need to actively tell anyone. But if someone asks, I want to tell them the truth… That I love you." Michonne's lips lift at the corners into a soft grin as she regards the semi-bashful woman in front of her. They hadn't yet repeated yesterday's declarations, the timing always seeming a little off whenever it crossed their mind to do so, but they were content in the fact that it was out in the open now, that the other knew.

"And that I love you," Michonne replies simply, causing Andrea to shift closer with a matching smile on her face.

"So you won't mind if someone were to ask, that I would tell them?" she asks hopefully, stopping just in front of her, guard duty briefly forgotten in favour of the affectionate gaze Michonne has trained on her. Michonne merely shakes her head in reply and Andrea lets out a gratified sigh, bringing her hands up to cup Michonne's cheeks and leaning in.

They share a sweet peck before the blonde draws back to look at her companion, grinning when she feels hands on her hips to pull her back in. This time the kiss lasts a few moments, but it is decidedly chaste in comparison to others that they've had; it's an affirmation of their feelings, soft and gentle, comforting in its simplicity. They withdraw only to clasp at each other in a firm embrace, momentarily driven by their need to stay close.

The realisation that they're neglecting guard duty is what draws them apart to separate corners again, but not before they give a loving squeeze of hands and a look of fondness passes between them.

The rest of their shift passes without any significant incidents, though it's filled with longing glances and knowing smirks.

* * *

Andrea and Michonne are again within their cell, having been dismissed by Rick after they came back down from the tower once Tyreese relieved them of guard duty. Today was apparently a day to go over plans of action – places to scavenge for supplies, how to best utilise the space they've got, ways to fortify the prison even more – but the pair had nothing to contribute, so they excused themselves with promises to voice anything that they might be able to come up with. Carol gave Andrea the now-anticipated smirk at the sight of the two women going off to spend more time together, alone, and Andrea only pursed her lips in attempt to stop her happiness from appearing in the form of an obnoxious grin.

Michonne sits on the bottom bunk, watching as Andrea sorts through their meagre possessions. Catching sight of the warrior watching her, Andrea straightens and playfully swings her hips as she saunters over, placing her hands on Michonne's shoulders and leaning down to touch their lips together.

When Andrea retreats and smiles cheerfully at Michonne, the brunette speaks up, for once showing her curiosity; though if she were to reveal it to anyone, it would of course be the blonde who has seen her vulnerable many times.

"Are you glad you're back here?" she questions, recalling that the main reason Andrea had stayed behind at Woodbury was for the security and imitation of a life long gone, and wondering if she felt the same about the prison. Andrea gives Michonne's question some thought, seriously considering her answer.

"I'm happy that we've found the others, and that we're in a pretty good place at the moment where we won't have to worry about a herd of walkers suddenly coming upon us. At least we'd be better off than we were at the farm. It's still not the same as Woodbury, or what it was pretending to be," Andrea's blue eyes find a spot on the wall behind Michonne, not quite focusing as she concentrated on her thoughts. "I don't think we'll ever find something like that though, a place where we could rebuild the life we had. And I don't think I'd want to. Not without… Without Amy. It would never be the same." Her eyes find Michonne's, locking onto them and conveying every emotion. "So yes, I'm glad _we're_ here now. And I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you at Woodbury to begin with. I should have left with you, rather than stay with-at Woodbury."

Michonne notices her slip, feeling resentment bubble up at the thought of Andrea choosing _him_ over her, even as the resulting guilt quickly stamps it out. The blonde sees Michonne's face darken and mentally berates herself for her stumbling words. She hadn't meant to word it like that, like what she had done was choose Phillip over her companion, like Michonne had accused her of when they were last reunited. Should she try and rectify it? Was she even able to make this right, the fact that she didn't go with Michonne?

She's stopped from saying anything when they hear an air horn blowing three times faintly from outside the prison – the signal for something unusual that the current person on watch has seen. The two women glance at each other before getting up and rushing to the balcony outside their cell, seeing Rick and the others scramble into wary stances.

"What do you think is happening?" Andrea questions Michonne quietly, who starts making her way downstairs. Andrea follows, grabbing the gun Glenn hands her with a grim expression as they reach the bottom of the stairs.

"I don't know," Michonne answers, sending the blonde a quick glance. "We'll have to find out."

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**A/N: My lame attempt at a cliffhanger. Whatever could happen next? :o Haha. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: To be honest, I'm a bit more nervous than usual posting this chapter. There's not much Michandrea in this chapter, but this will get the ball rolling so I can continue writing with purpose rather than dragging things on. Hopefully it's acceptable. Let me know, I definitely want to know your thoughts. Pretty please!**

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It feels like it doesn't take long for the lot of them to make their way outside, what with the adrenaline charging through their bodies. They burst outside in the courtyard, battle-ready but stop at the sight of a 4WD truck parked in front of the gate with Caesar Martinez in the tray, shooting at any of the walkers that came too close. Otherwise, there's no sign of attack on the prison.

"What the hell is going on?" Daryl mutters, crossbow loosely held in a ready stance as he trades a confused look with Rick. Their leader hesitates, internally debating over what to do before bringing up the scope on his rifle and peering through it, trying to gather more information on the situation. Just through the glass, he can see the Governor's other man, Shumpert, in the driver's seat, but no sign of the man himself.

"I can't see the Governor," Rick tells them all, checking what he can see of the inside of the car. He shifts the scope's view to Caesar, who's still guarding against the walkers, but appears to be glancing up at the prison every so often. It's then that Rick notices the white fabric fluttering in the wind.

"Andrea, take a look at Martinez's hand, what he's got in it," he orders quietly, unable to believe his eyes. Surely not…

Andrea does as he says, looking through her own scope and seeing the corner of a white t-shirt gripped tightly in a fist.

"Are they attempting to strike a truce?" Andrea muses uncertainly, causing the others to shift and frown. "Do they honestly think that we'll fall for that? After everything that's happened, everything that they've done?" There's silence and then Rick makes a decision.

"Andrea, Daryl, Carol, Sasha, Maggie and Karen, I want you to look in the trees for any sign of the Governor. We'll move into the field, but be careful, and be prepared to take cover behind any of the vehicles. Michonne, Glenn, you come with me to see what they want and keep your guns trained on them. If they make any hostile move, do not hesitate to shoot them. Are you ready?" he questions, eyeing each of them. They all collectively nod, and he goes to unlock the courtyard gate, allowing four of the former group to pass through as well as his group; Carol and Karen stay behind so they were more spread out; less chance of them all getting hit in one go if there _is_ an attack. Andrea's group span out behind Rick, Michonne and Glenn as they cautiously move closer to the fenceline, ready to bolt to the nearby truck. Presently, all weapons are raised and fingers steady on the trigger.

It's obvious that Caesar and Shumpert have spotted them, watching their progress with intent eyes. The group are halfway through the field when Tyreese appears at the base of the tower, waiting for Rick to get closer before meeting him in front of the gate.

"I can't see anything else up there," he mentions lowly, shifting his gaze from the trees to Rick and then to the men waiting outside the prison borders.

"Keep an eye out, we've got the others looking as well," Rick sends him back up the guard tower, before turning his complete attention to the intruders.

"Let us in," Caesar yells out, slowly raising his gun away from the prison and towards the walker that's ambling its way towards the car. Michonne lets out a scoff from next to Rick, and Glenn releases a humourless laugh; both are still tense, expecting someone to raise a gun towards them.

"Why would you think we would do that?" Rick raises his voice to carry out across the distance, and Caesar lifts up his arm in surrender.

"We have the Governor tied up," he replies, making those who heard furrow their brows in frustrating confusion.

"It's got to be a trap, there's no other explanation for it. These are the Governor's _right-hand _men," Glenn warns lowly. Rick nods his agreement, and Michonne stays silent, attention focusing solely on the men in the car.

"You really expect us to believe that," the former police officer responds eventually, mouth tightening into a thin line as he waits. A short bark of laughter comes from within the car, and Shumpert is opening the door, stepping out with his arms held in the air.

"We really don't, but look, we'll pull the Governor out and show you, alright?"

Glenn seethes and Michonne frowns in thought; Rick only stoically watches before acquiescing with a harsh 'alright'. Caesar and Shumpert move to the tray of the truck, pulling down the hatch and pulling something heavy towards them in unison. Everybody waits with bated breath, tension thrumming through their bodies.

And then, finally, the object in the truck is revealed indeed as a man, frame and build exactly as the Governor. It's clear that he's knocked out and tied up by the way Shumpert throws him over his shoulder easily enough, but the group haven't had a chance to get a clear look at his face. Caesar is still on the lookout for bold walkers as the duo walk closer to the gate.

"Put your weapons down," Rick commands, lifting his own up in warning. The two men exchange looks, obviously hesitant.

"What about the biters?" Shumpert questions, shifting as he takes in the shuffling corpses slowly making their way over. It seems that the numbers are growing by the minute; the noise of the car and air horn must have drawn more towards the prison.

"Andrea and Daryl will make sure they don't get too close. Now, weapons down on the ground and step away from them. That includes knifes. And I want to see the Governor's face." The men comply, Caesar placing his gun unwillingly on the ground along with two knifes secreted in his clothes. Shumpert is able to remove a handgun and a knife from himself, even with the body draped over his shoulder. They move away a few feet, coming closer yet to the fence where they situate the hostage in front of them so he's kneeling, nervously glancing around. Caesar lifts the man's head up by his hair, leaving his face to be scrutinised.

"That's the Governor, alright," Michonne growls lowly, face tightening in fury and disgust at the sight of the unconscious man's features. The distinct eye patch has shifted in all the movement so it's not completely covering the wounded eye and his other eye is only just shut in a lazy, catatonic state. His mouth is agape, jaw relaxed completely, and his arms hang behind his back, kept from falling to his sides by the rope cutting into his wrists. All signs of truly being knocked out, yet everyone was still wary.

"Why are you here?" Rick asks. "What made you turn against your boss?"

"He went nuts. Killed a lot of our people for no reason," Caesar explains. "Shumpert and I, we didn't want him to turn on us as well. We thought you might take us in if we brought you the Gov, so we managed to knock him out, tie him up and find our way back here."

"You've taken our people hostage, attacked our home. What makes you really think that we'd take you in?" Glenn interjects, anger coming through. Rick shoots him a warning glance, silently telling him to calm down.

"We know we've done bad by you, but it was under the Governor's orders. It's a man-eat-man world out there, we did what we had to," Caesar pleads. There's a gunshot as Andrea steps forth and shoots one of the walkers closing in on the three men right in the forehead.

"I don't trust them," Glenn reiterates, taking the momentary distraction as a chance to converse with the small gathering.

"What do you propose we do?" Rick asks under his breath, studying the men carefully. "Shoot them? Turn them away to have them come back to attack?"

"If this was an attack, why would they risk being out in the open like this?" Andrea suggests, trying to make sense of the situation.

"They don't have the numbers to overwhelm us anymore, they're trying to be smart." Glenn argues.

"By walking right into our hands? That sounds pretty dumb to me, especially since that fucker killed my brother." Daryl mutters, moving forward to be within earshot, eyes narrowed right at the tied-up man. "They've gotta know that we'd want to make them pay."

"We'll take them in," Rick decides. "They may still be a threat, but at least we'll know where they are. They can stay in separate cells until we decide what to do with them. We shouldn't be out in the open for too long," The others nod collectively, content with his reasoning, for the time being. Daryl shoots an arrow at yet another walker that got too close, before the group moves in unison to the gate. The keys to the padlocks keeping the chains up rattle as Rick places a hand on them.

"We're going to let you come in, but I want you to enter one at a time on my command. Shumpert, you'll come in with the Governor first, place him on the ground and move away while we have a look. Any sudden movement, hostile or otherwise, and my people will shoot you. Got it?" The two men nod, relieved even as six guns are currently locked onto them. They're still a few feet away from the fence when Rick unlocks one side of the gate, pulling it back far enough for Shumpert to walk through with the Governor perched on his shoulder again.

The unconscious man is placed none too gently on the ground before the tall man backs away with his hands hovering about his head in the typical stance of surrender. Maggie and Sasha move to stand on either side of Shumpert, still plenty of time to react if he was to suddenly attack.

Rick steps towards the Governor, closely studying the motionless body for any sign of a ruse. Glenn and Michonne are also on alert, backing him up. The former sheriff deputy crouches down and quickly checks the rope binding the man's wrists together, noting that it's tight and secure enough that he wouldn't be able to make use of his hands.

Next, he places two fingers on Phillip's neck, unable to get to the pulse point on his wrist due to the rope. He finds a pulse, regular and strong enough to show he's still alive and not on the verge of turning. He pats the man's clothes down, searching for any possible concealed weapons.

When he comes up clear, Rick stands up and nods to the others, leaving the man lying on the ground as he moves over to the gate and gestures Caesar through, relocking the padlocks and securing the field once again from walkers. He leaves Caesar waiting with the remaining guards.

"I just want to do a body search on the both of you, and then we'll take you to your new home," Rick explains, moving in front of Shumpert but raising his voice so Caesar hears him clearly. The Woodbury men voice their consent and Rick proceeds to pat down Shumpert, finding nothing and then doing the same with Caesar. He waves down Carol and Karen from the prison courtyard as an extra precaution and gets Daryl and Michonne to pick Phillip up for the brief journey back to the cell block. Both seem reluctant to do as Rick says, but move forward, handing their weapons to the others to make it easier for them with the burden.

The pair lead the way with Phillip, followed at a few feet by Caesar who's guarded by Andrea and Carol. Shumpert is escorted by Karen and Maggie, and the group is followed by Rick bringing up the rear, rifle once again steady in his hands.

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**A/N: Thoughts?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So, first off, sorry for the wait. I'm getting worse with this updating thing, I know. Life has been a little intense lately, but things are leveling out now. And secondly, well, lastly, I hope you enjoy. Cheers for reading!**

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They have to pass the quarters where they've put the majority of the Woodbury folk and when they do the atmosphere in the building becomes thick, suffocating in a way, murmurs of people and delighted noises of children disappearing almost instantaneously as soon as they catch sight of the procession. The silence is unnerving, like the calm before the storm, before a hiss of words appears here and there, angry expressions turning towards the three captives.

Rick and the others ignore them for the most part, but Caesar and Shumpert seem unable to, remorse building on their faces with every accusatory glare thrown their way. They move through to the room where there are empty cells, far away enough from everybody else that they wouldn't come into contact with most people on a day-to-day basis, but close enough to keep an eye on them. The two conscious men are placed and locked into their respective cells first; both go without complaint, but Shumpert seems the most troubled when he goes to sit down on his bed.

Philip goes into a cell several over away from his former men, the rope cut away from his wrists and instead replaced with handcuffs on his right hand, restraining him to the bed bolted to the wall and floor.

"Daryl, can you stay here and keep an eye on them, especially if the Governor wakes up?" Rick asks the crossbowman, who assents and begins to pace along the corridor of the cells, prowling and keeping his features in a dark, brooding expression.

The others move out back into the Woodbury section, to where everyone is waiting none too patiently for Rick to appear to start hammering them with questions.

"What's happened?"

"Why is the Governor here?"

"Murderer!"

"Is he dead?"

Andrea and Michonne edge closer together, sharing a look as Rick holds up a hand for silence.

"The Governor's men, Martinez and Shumpert, have brought us the Governor as a way to redeem themselves. I will question them, and the Governor when he wakes, and then we will decide on what to do with them. For now, they're locked away and I have Daryl standing guard. For your own safety, it would be best if you stayed away," Rick finishes, gaining a few understanding nods from the now-dispersing crowd, satisfied for the most part with his answer. Rick sends a glance to each of his remaining group, taking in their expectant stares. He sighs.

"We'll send someone up to relieve Tyreese so he can be filled in on what's happening." It's a little past noon now, and already a lot has changed. Some higher power has been on their side and brought them the Governor; that's one problem almost taken care of, but three more put in its place.

"I can go," Carol offers, moving off at Rick's thankful nod. Fifteen minutes later Tyreese strolls in to where the group have congregated in the main block.

"We have the men locked up and Daryl watching over them," Sasha explains to her brother when he sits down next to her at one of the tables.

"The Governor's still knocked out," Rick clarifies. "We're waiting on him to wake up, try and get the answers we need, and then… See what happens with the other two." It's clear by his tone and wording that Philip's fate is already sealed; it's only a matter of time. Tyreese bobs his head in understanding.

"The day's almost over, we should finish up on our plans," Hershel suggests after a long silence. Those who were helping earlier gather around one table, and Michonne and Andrea decide to stand around as well, interjecting their own ideas every once and a while.

One hour and a bit later, Daryl comes striding in, face set in a harsh scowl.

"The fucker's awake," he says in a tone to suit his expression, hand clenched on his crossbow. Immediately three people stand alert; Rick, Andrea and Michonne, with the rest of the group staring uneasily at each other.

"Is he coherent?" Rick questions, and Daryl makes a noise of derision.

"He's coherent alright. Knew where he was right away and started swearing. He knows exactly what he's in for," he says with a ruthlessly proud undertone.

"Does anyone else want to tag along?" Rick turns to face the other occupants of the room. Glenn stands up and Michonne steps forward. Andrea steps forward as well after a slight deliberation. The group is joined by Karen, mouth pressed into a grim determined line, and Rick sends one last sweeping gaze around the people. "Let's go."

They march once more through to the cells, past the two men who look solemnly up from their beds, and come to a halt just a few feet away from the bars, taking in the sight of the captured man with his back turned, sitting on the bed and clearly trying to escape from the cuffs.

Rick clears his throat, making Philip stiffen and cock his head before facing them. Angry eyes take in the group standing beyond his reach, and a low, feral growl travels out from the cell.

Andrea peers over Rick's shoulder, catching Philip's attention; if possible, his sneer gets more disdainful, hatred transforming his face into an ugly, twisted mask, far from the deceivingly charming smile she was once upon a time greeted with. It's horrifying reminiscent of those days and nights spent experiencing that same sadistic glint in his eyes right before her would hit her. She shifts closer to Michonne, gripping tightly at her hand as her body aches in memory at the fear and pain she faced tied to that chair.

"Fucking bitch," he rages. "Your whore of a friend managed to save you, did she? Milton, useless fucking Milton, that son of a bitch." Andrea could see the insanity build with each word, anger causing his frame to tighten and shift restlessly, handcuff straining as it keeps him to the bed.

Daryl moves forward and to the left, contempt clear on his face as he glares down at the captive. Philip ignores him, eyes locking onto the now-revealed Michonne. Without warning, he tries his best to lunge forward, but is stopped by the handcuff.

"You bitch," he grunts, eyes shadowed with nothing but chaotic rage, hand reaching out as if to wrap around her neck. "You killed my daughter, my sweet little girl, my Penny," he hisses, seeming to redouble his efforts at getting free. Thankfully the handcuffs hold, keeping him somewhat contained to his bed. Michonne only watches him, face tightened in a mildly disgusted scowl. Andrea feels a wave of relief that she's out of his hands now; glad that Michonne is out of his reach as well.

It's almost cruel, how the group stands there watching the man pull desperately at his restraints, growling and spitting out words, cursing each of them in turn with wild eyes. The majority move away, unable to keep on watching Philip's descent into complete madness. Eventually it's just Rick, Michonne and Andrea, witnessing Philip's angry words morph into sorrowful croons about his daughter even as he pulls pitifully at the handcuffs every so often. They leave him like that, walking past where the other two men are and locking the cell block behind them.

"What are we going to do with him?" Andrea asks lowly, wanting to confirm her suspicions. Her hand tightens its hold on Michonne's and she pulls her close without any complaint from the woman. Michonne even goes so far as to wrap her arm around the blonde's waist, gripping almost possessively. Andrea smiles internally at this, but focuses on Rick's reply.

"There's only one way to resolve this," he says grimly. "Let's go to the others so I don't have to repeat myself." They move through to their block and gather a few of the Woodbury residents so they were in the loop as well, finding the rest of the group spread throughout the room.

"We're going to execute the Governor," Rick steels himself and announces, voice ringing with authority. "We can't keep him in his cell. He'll be using up supplies we could otherwise be saving, and there's a chance he could escape. He's killed too many of our people," his eyes shift to Karen and the other Woodbury people, their sober nods showing their acceptance of his decision. "And he shall account for the pain he's put us all through." He pauses, thinking over his next words. "In the morning, we'll put this thing to rest in the field, and then hopefully we can move on from this."

"What about the Bowman and Martinez?" Noah, Karen's son, pipes up, receiving a stern look from his mother but approving nods from the rest of the room's occupants.

"We still don't know what they really want, but from what we know, they wouldn't turn against their own people." Maggie answers, uncomfortable with the fact that her previous captors could be accepted as their own. However, she's unable to place the same amount of blame on them as Philip, having been threatened personally by him, skin crawling at the thought.

"They'll be brought to watch, so they know exactly what they've walked into," Rick resolves. "Tomorrow, in the morning, we'll settle this."

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**A/N: A few things I'm unhappy with, but for now they will do... Maybe.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So… Yeah, I don't have much to say. Enjoy! :)**

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Outside, the prison was as it had been since the group had first commandeered it; walkers stumbling around its perimeters, the surrounding trees occasionally swaying in the soft breeze that appeared every so often, the soft hum of the insects hidden amongst the grass. It was the picture of serenity, if you could ignore the fact that the clumsy walkers would spiral into a frenzied, murderous mob at the first hint of fresh meat.

Inside the prison was a different story. The mood was quiet, yet the atmosphere was almost stifling. You could feel the excitement of the people at the thought of justice, of seeing the causer of so much pain brought to pay for what he had done. There was a lightness in the air that was palpable, reverberating off the walls as people loitered in their rooms.

Rick announces that it's almost time, but already a group have gathered in the courtyard, eyes occasionally drifting to the cluttered pile of wood already prepared in the field.

The door opens noisily, causing people to shift their attention to the doorway, only to turn away in disinterest at the sight of Andrea and Michonne. They're followed by Shumpert, guarded by Glenn and Maggie and bound in handcuffs salvaged from the turned prison wardens. Not two minutes later, after Shumpert is sitting on a chair in the field and incapable of moving without causing alarm, Caesar is brought outside as well, placed into a chair 5 feet away from his accomplice facing the wood pile. The people in the courtyard start to pour into the field after being motioned the okay, making sure to steer clear of the two prisoners.

The only people not present already are Rick, Daryl, Tyreese, Sasha and Carol, but it's not more than ten minutes before they appear, Rick leading solemnly with Sasha and Carol bringing up the rear, guns trained on the man bound at the wrists and ankles being dragged by Tyreese and Daryl. Even from the field, Philip can be seen struggling, thrashing against the grip of the two men. The procession makes its way down to the front of the crowd, standing just in front of the firewood.

Now that Philip is closer, everyone can hear him hissing and howling, even forced to kneel as he is, straining to break free.

"You're all going to die," he growls, low voice travelling through the people and causing them to recoil at the venom in his tone. The enraged man continues, teeth bared like a wild animal and mouth curled into a feral grin. "You won't live all that long, soon, biters will get you, they always do." There's no sign of the cool, collected man who was present even when carrying out the post-battle massacre. He sways from side to side forcefully, trying to use his strength to break away from his captors, but stops when Rick drives the butt of his rifle into his temple. The crowd stares on as Rick swings the rifle securely onto his back, Philip's head lolling to the side when Daryl and Tyreese shift his lax body into straightening.

Rick turns his attention to the crowd, eyes consumed by a simmering fire.

"I'm not going to drag this out, there's no point. But I would like to say that it's a sad day when we have to turn against another human being, when there is a far greater enemy beyond these fences. For the wrong this man has committed, he shall face death." His gaze finds that of the two men in the chairs, sending them a silent promise that they could be next. He only receives a grim, understanding expression from the taller of the two, and a stoic one from the other. Narrowing his eyes, he places a hand on the revolver in his holster, pulling it out and pointing it steadily at the forehead of the unconscious man.

He pulls the trigger, and the gunshot rings throughout the field.

Several people jump from within the crowd, startled despite the visual warning. Most shy away from the sight of the hole in the centre of the man's forehead. Andrea breathes in deeply through her nose, heart lightening at the presence of Philip leaving this world. Michonne studies her, having only watched the bullet leave the back of his skull before turning her attention to the blonde at her side. She can see the relief spreading on Andrea's face, previously tense facial muscles loosening.

Andrea collects herself and catches the sight of Michonne watching her out of the corner of her eye. She turns and gives a small, soft smile, taking in the way Michonne stares at her, expression relaxed and brown eyes gazing intently at her. The shifting of the crowd around them draws them out of their own little world, and they realise the whole ordeal is over.

The people begin to move back up into the prison, leaving behind the majority of the original group with their two remaining prisoners. Philip's body has already been dumped unceremoniously on top of the wood, and Daryl is starting the fire, using smaller lit branches to spread the flames more rapidly. Rick paces in front of the chairs, eyes fixating on one face before studying the other. He moves around to the back, noting how the men try to follow his movement. Good, they were intimidated, enough to be wary of him.

"Your boss is dead, thanks to you," he comments. His tone could almost be considered jovial as he stops moving, out of their direct sight.

"He's not our boss," Shumpert speaks, deep voice strong in his conviction. "He stopped being our boss the moment he killed our people."

"What about the other people you've killed? The soldiers?" Rick continues.

"Wouldn't you defend your people against any threat by any way possible? Protect them how you could?" Caesar speaks up, staring forlornly up at the ex-sheriff. "The Governor, he was good, you know. He looked after our people. But then, when everyone drove off from here… He snapped. Gunned everyone down, and we took off with him. What else could we do? He would've shot us, too."

"Once we started driving, the Governor started talking about getting revenge, hunting down Michonne. He didn't even care about the fact that he'd killed all of our people. Martinez and I, we knew it wasn't safe at all for us, even if we thought the bastard was right. He was not our boss, not anymore," Shumpert explains.

"Why'd you come to us? You could've killed him, and gone off on your own."

"We almost did. We went back to Woodbury on the Governor's orders and there was no one there. All the supplies were gone, and we couldn't find any bodies. We knew you had come and taken the rest of the people, so we decided to tie up the Governor and bring him to you."

"We don't want to keep on running, always having to keep an eye out. We know you guys have a secure place here, and you need people, strong people. We can help you." Shumpert carries on from his companion's words, eyes appealing to the others for forgiveness. "Those are our people in there, regardless of what the Governor did. We want to help."

Rick strolls around to the front, eyeing them both once more.

"I've heard enough, you're going back to your cell." He gestures for the others to grab the men and follows them, gun raised once more. Michonne and Andrea accompany them, helping guard the men as Daryl and Carol stay behind to tend to the fire.

In the meeting room – Shumpert and Caesar having been put away by now – the people sit around the table.

"Does anyone trust them?" Rick asks.

"I don't," Glenn volunteers almost immediately, gaining solemn nods from Sasha, Carl and a hesitant one from Maggie.

The others appear more torn, glancing amongst each other.

"What's going to happen, then?" Beth speaks up.

"Until we feel they can be counted on, they're staying in their cells," Rick says, earning a glower from his son.

"What if they escape?" Carl demands, standing up and clenching his fists. Beth puts a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugs it off. "We killed the Governor, why shouldn't we do the same with them?"

Rick steps closer, face troubled by his son's lust for blood. "The Governor's death was for the best; everyone knew it and agreed. We have people on the fence now, and I don't know if killing the Governor's men is the way to go. Unfortunately, they were right. We need more people. In the meantime maybe we can find a use for them, labour or something."

"I think your father is right in this, Carl," Hershel's face is grim as he trains his stare on the boy. In response, Carl sends a defiant glare and walks away, shoulders tense and fists still clenched tightly. Andrea raises her eyebrows as she looks at Michonne to see the other woman staring after the boy with concern in her eyes. She slips her hand into Michonne's, smiling softly when she receives a mildly befuddled expression.

"He'll be fine," Andrea whispers, turning her attention to Rick after Michonne gives her a tight-lipped smile of assurance. "So the plan is to keep them in their cells until we know we can trust them?" Rick bobs his head in confirmation.

"We'll keep an eye on them, have someone watching them all of the time. Any attempt at escape, and they've lost their chance."


End file.
